Mayor Steve Noble is facing not one but two challengers at the polls as he seeks a second four-year term in office. Noble holds the Democratic and Working Families Party lines. Ellen DiFalco is a registered Democrat who is running on the Republican and Independence party lines. Vincent Rua will appear on the ballot on the Serve America Movement (SAM) party line.
Kathy Nolan, a Democrat, is running for reelection after a term as Ulster County legislator for District 22, which includes the towns of Shandaken, Olive, Denning, and Hardenbergh. She is being challenged by John Parete, who lost the seat to Nolan in 2017, after serving six terms. Parete, also a Democrat, has received the Republican party endorsement but failed in an attempt to defeat Nolan in the Democratic primary earlier this year. Parete has not said which party he would caucus with should he win.
Six months after coasting to victory by a three-to-one margin, County Executive Pat Ryan, a Democrat, faces an electoral rematch with Ulster County Conservative Party Chairman John J. “Jack” Hayes.
In a race that has become contentious in recent weeks, current town board member Paul Andreassen, running on the Republican, Conservative and Libertarian party lines, is seeking to unseat incumbent Town Supervisor Fred Costello Jr., running on the Democratic, Working Families and Independence party lines, for the highest office in town government.
Woodstock voters will decide between incumbent town supervisor Bill McKenna and write-in candidate and former supervisor Jeff Moran for the top town seat while all others are running unopposed. Both tout their records while Moran says he’s the one who can devote the time needed for the job.
In the wake of the departure of Elliott Auerbach, the only comptroller Ulster’s ever known, two women well-known to local public life, Lisa Cutten of Kingston and March Gallagher of Rosendale, are running for the job.
Republicans don’t hold any seats on the five-member town board at this time. But under one election night scenario, they may hold four on the board come January.
This coming Election Day, in addition to the names of candidates seeking reelection, Town of Rosendale voters will be faced with a ballot question: a referendum on whether or not the terms of office for the town supervisor and superintendent of highways should be increased from two years to four.
Known for being a political hotbed, New Paltz is oddly quiet during this election cycle with the exception of the County Legislature race and a dark horse opponent, Kevin Kelly, a rare book dealer who has decided to run against veteran town justice James Bacon.
Shandaken supervisor Rob Stanley, a Republican, is being challenged on November 5 by Democrat Brian Powers.